With more than 150 supporters, volunteers, charity representatives and VIPs in attendance, Russell Roybal, deputy executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, presented a giant check in the amount of $227,509 to The Miami Foundation’s GLBT Community Projects Fund. The donation represents a significant share of the combined net proceeds from the 2014 Winter Party Festival and the 17th Annual Miami Recognition Dinner, both of which are held in Miami Beach. These proceeds will be distributed to local LGBT organizations via Foundation grants with the remainder of the proceeds going to support the important work of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to build power, take action and create positive, lasting change for LGBT people and their families throughout the country.

“The Task Force has been working in Miami since the days of Anita Bryant,” Roybal said. “We have a special and unique relationship with South Florida and the people here. It is thanks to these people – the volunteers, sponsors and guests who attend our two events – that this incredible donation has been possible.”

The donation amount was announced at a July 17 reception at Bacardi USA’s national headquarters in Miami with Charisse Grant, senior vice president for programs,accepting on behalf of The Miami Foundation. Since taking over responsibilities for Winter Party Festival and the Miami Recognition Dinner, the Task Force has contributed more than $1.85 million to South Florida grassroots LGBT organizations.

"We are grateful to the Task Force and hundreds of volunteers and donors who pour their passion into making these events bigger and better every year," said Grant in accepting the donation. "They do more than give their time and charitable dollars. They give immeasurable inspiration and hope to the thousands of LGBT residents who benefit from the community programs their gifts support."

Also in attendance at the reception were several representatives from 2013 grant recipient organizations. These leaders represented organizations as diverse as the South Florida LGBT and allied community itself, including the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts; Family Counseling Services of Greater Miami, Inc.; Foster Care Review, Inc.; Miami Beach Gay & Lesbian Film Festival; Pridelines Youth Services; SAVE; Survivor's Pathway Organization; and Switchboard of Miami.

New Winter Party Festival Brand Identity Unveiling

Immediately after the giant check presentation, Roybal introduced Justin Bell, chair of the 2015 Winter Party Festival and president of Arc+Arrow Creative Group, the company that guided the Task Force through the re-branding process and created the new imagery and verbal identity for the 22-year-old fundraising event.

“As Winter Party Festival continues to grow year-over-year, we find a majority of our events selling out,” Bell said. “That’s a good problem to have. But to continue our growth trajectory, we must expand our audience, enhance our programming and evolve Winter Party Festival to truly take on the meaning of ‘Festival.’”

The strategy behind the updated brand identity was to capture the celebration of Winter Party Festival and showcase the ever-evolving innovation behind the globally recognized events produced each year, Bell added. The new color palette portrays a combination of colors symbolizing the warm Florida sun and cool ocean waves, while incorporating purple from the past palette to remind the community of the brand’s history and provide alignment with the Task Force’s national brand identity.

At the heart of Winter Party Festival’s new verbal identity is the new positioning statement, Bell said, which states, “Winter Party Festival is an annual fund- and consciousness-raising event committed to supporting, inspiring and activating LGBT communities worldwide through a celebration of identity, equality and unity that is designed to bring the community and its allies together to learn, live, love, laugh and forge lifelong relationships.”

“This positioning statement, coupled with the creation of values, personality attributes, a brand story and promise, and a comprehensive messaging platform, redefines the Winter Party Festival brand and positions the brand for innovative evolution in the years to come,” he concluded.

Coinciding with the updated brand identity unveiling, Bell announced that the new Winter Party Festival website, in partnership with LGBT Creative, has now launched at www.winterparty.com.

A few hundred people turned out Wednesday for a screening of the new documentary, Just Gender, by filmmaker George Zuber of Fort Lauderdale and narrated by musical theater star Bebe Neuwirth.

The event was sponsored by SAVE, kicking off its new campaign to add gender identity and expression to Miami-Dade County's human-rights ordinance.

A fundraising cocktail party for SAVE preceded the main event, followed by a City of Miami Beach proclamation ceremony, the screening and a Q&A afterward with Zuber and two of the film's local stars, LJ Woolston and Krysta Cascio.

BY STEVE ROTHAUS

Jazz Jennings, a 13-year-old transgender girl, has written a book for LGBTQ people titled I Am Jazz.

"Jazz always knew she was different from other kids," reads the back of the 32-page book. "She had a girl's brain and a boy's body. This is her story."

Jazz, who lives with her family in South Florida, read from the book (co-authored by Jessica Herthel) Thursday at Care Resource in Oakland Park.

Afterward, she told me:

"I wrote this book so we could help educate other transgender youth and families that it is OK to be different."

"It’s not just geared to LGBTQ people, but for everyone who is unique. And hopefully it can make a huge impact in letting everyone know that they have to accept each other because we’re all part of the same society," she said.

Jazmine Lammey, 49, said she found Jazz's book inspiring.

Lammey began transitioning less than a year ago.

"I’ve known ever since I was very young. I did the dating thing, I did the marry thing, I had the kid thing. I did all those things," she told me.

"Had I had the support and the courage, had I been ready at that point, that would have been one thing. The fear inside myself, knowing I was different, but willing to live a life of misery rather than accept who I am and live it."

Since beginning her transition last August, Lammey says she has become "a happy, proud woman."

Join us on June 24 where we will take over the Bali Room at Dapur for an intimate lunch of not more than 25. We'll begin at Noon and end promptly at 1 PM. Our featured speaker will be Dr Kenney of Midland Medical Center. The subject will be “Taking Advantage of the Affordable Care Act Benefits.”

Dr Kenney will guide you through ways to best utilize your new healthcare benefits. There are things we can do at different stages of our lives to ensure optimal health. And when we feel good inside, it shows outside. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, every participant is eligible for a yearly exam without a copay or deductible. Pre-existing conditions can no longer be used as an excuse to deny claims. There are different benefits for men and women such as mammograms or PSA tests after a certain age. In honor of June being Men’s Health Month, Dr Kenney will provide a checklist for every stage of men’s lives, from what we should to in our 20’s to what we should do when we are 50 plus. The benefits provided by the Affordable Care Act also change with each stage of our lives.

About Lunch, Learn & Network:

* The 4th Tuesday Luncheons are in addition to the Quarterly Networking Luncheons and Executive Lunch

* Each will feature a Speaker/Sponsor who will speak briefly to the attendees

* There will be only ONE speaker per luncheon

* Each luncheon is limited to 25 people which will allow more time to get to know the attendees

* The luncheons will run from Noon until 1pm, taking up less time than our larger Quarterly Luncheons

* Lunch will be served "family style" with several options to save time in ordering

* The lunch price includes non-acholic beverage, tax and gratuity

* The luncheons will be held in the Bali private dining room at Dapur each month

BY JOSH LEDERMAN

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration will work to ensure that gay and lesbian Americans are eligible to take leave from their jobs to care for a same-sex spouse, regardless of whether they live in a state that recognizes gay marriage, the White House said Friday.

President Barack Obama is directing the Labor Department to start drafting rules making clear that the Family and Medical Leave Act applies to same-sex couples, allowing gay and lesbian employees to take unpaid leave to care for a sick spouse regardless of where they live. The move comes three years after the Obama administration stopped defending the Defense of Marriage Act, which lets states refuse to recognize gay marriages performed in other states.

The White House is promoting the move as part of Obama's push to expand protections for gays and lesbians by allowing same-sex couples to take advantage of the same federal benefits available to married heterosexual couples.

To that end, the Justice Department also plans to announce it has completed a review that Obama ordered to assess what legal benefits can be extended to gay couples. Already, Obama has moved to ensure gay couples have equal access to health insurance, immigration privileges and tax benefits, the White House said.

But the White House said there are a few benefits that current law prohibits the federal government from granting to same-sex couples. Hoping to end that limitation, the Obama administration is calling on Congress to pass legislation removing those prohibitions.

Democratic members of Congress already have introduced bills expanding protections for gays and lesbians related to Social Security and veterans' benefits, the White House said.

BY ABRAHAM GALVAN

South Florida News Service

For LGBT pride month, Out of the Closet thrift stores throughout South Florida are giving away five new Vespa scooters to encourage HIV testing.

“The mission is for more individuals, gay men in particular, get tested and know their status,” said Will Acosta, 25, assistant manager of Out of the Closet in Wilton Manors. “This will promote safer sex and prevention of catching HIV.”

When customers walk in, they are encouraged to get tested, hoping to win a new Vespa.

Out of the Closet is a national subsidiary of Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation. There are four South Florida locations and each will give away a Vespa valued at $4,800. The scooters are on display inside the thrift stores.

To qualify and get a chance to win, contestants need to get one-minute HIV tests in any of the four locations or at one of Out of the Closet's mobile testing units through June 29. Anyone over 18 with a valid Florida driver license is eligible.

In Wilton Manors, a fifth drawing will be held for one Vespa at 7 p.m. Saturday outside the store during the Stonewall Pride Street Festival. Winners must be present. If not, another ticket will be drawn.

The festival is noon to 11 p.m. and extends from Northeast 20th Street north to Wilton Drive and Dixie Highway. A pride parade along Wilton Drive begins 7 p.m.

Participants who get HIV tested during the Stonewall festival will be eligible to win Saturday night.

Drawings for the four remaining Vespas will take place on June 30. The winners will be contacted by phone.

“I had no idea this sweepstakes was taking place,” said customer David Wilson, 26, who decided to attend the weekend festivities after learning of the drawing.

After getting an HIV test, customers will be able to fill out the paperwork needed to enter the drawing.

Acosta said the festival will attract people from all over Florida and the nation, bringing more HIV awareness.

Carlos Rios, 23, a regular customer, agrees.

“I've already been tested recently but still will be attending the festivities in support of this cause,” Rios said.

IF YOU GO

What: Out of the Closet thrift stores' one-minute HIV testing

When: Testing hours inside the stores from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through June 29.

BY STEVE ROTHAUS

Miami Beach commissioners Wednesday voted to provide city employees with transgender healthcare insurance, making the Beach one of only 5 percent of all U.S. cities and municipalities to offer the benefit and the first in Florida.

“That’s something that really puts Miami Beach in the forefront in Florida for transgender rights,” said trans-rights activist and resident Aryah Lester. “For that to happen here shows Miami Beach is pushing forward, period, for equality.”

Beginning in October, transgender Beach employees will be insured for treatments including gender-reassignment surgery, hormone and psychological therapy. Voice therapy and cosmetic procedures including hair removal would not be covered.

“It would cover the transition from male to female, female to male,” said Thomas Barker, chairman of Miami Beach’s GLBT Business Enhancement Committee, which lobbied for the insurance. “The commission has directed the city manager’s office to provide transgender healthcare benefits in the next open enrollment.”

Transgender surgeries from 2001 through 2008 in the U.S. cost an average of $10,400 for male to female; $17,000 for female to male, according to Williams Institute at the University of California law school. “These figures are based on 740 male to female surgeries and 430 female to male surgeries, providing an average combined cost of $12,900 per surgery,” according to a commission memo from City Manager Jimmy Morales.

“These healthcare costs aren’t more expensive than pregnancy or cardiac care or any other number of health care costs that are expensive but critical,” said Cathryn Oakley of Human Rights Campaign (HRC) of Washington, D.C., the nation’s largest LGBT-rights group.

“Our city is really pro LGBT. It’s important for us not to be pro LGBT by word, but more importantly by action,” Levine said after the commission meeting. “Miami Beach, we want to make it the most progressive, pragmatic in America. These types of initiatives are part of that vision and our mandate.”

Also Wednesday, Levine sponsored a motion that Miami Beach support same-sex couples seeking to marry or have their out-of-state marriages recognized in Florida.

No other cities in Florida offer transgender healthcare benefits, according to the annual Municipal Equality Index published by HRC. “It’s an elite universe,” said Oakley, HRC’s legislative counsel for state and municipal advocacy, who authors the index.

The report, ranking 291 major American cities, has been published since 2012. Miami Beach was not included in the first two indexes, infuriating LGBT civic leaders. The business enhancement committee completed its own survey this year and self-submitted it. In April, HRC awarded the city a perfect score.

In the first two years of the index, transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits were not mandatory for a municipality to receive a perfect score. Beginning in 2014, they will be, Oakley said.

“Which means cities will now be dinged for not having them,” she said.

Now, Miami Beach is on its way to another perfect score.

“It’s something that is so amazing to me. It’s needed and long overdue,” Lester said. “It’s less of a struggle to just live as a person in the community.”

BY JOSEFA VELASQUEZ

ASSOCIATED PRESS

ALBANY, N.Y. -- A proposed ban against New York health professionals trying to change a child's sexual orientation through therapy comes too late for Matthew Shurka, a 26-year-old Long Island man who says he remains emotionally scarred from five years of attempts to "cure" his homosexuality.

"My anxiety was at its worst," Shurka said of the therapy that began when he was 16. "I never attempted suicide, but I had a lot of suicidal thoughts and dreams and thinking about it, considering it."

New York's Democratic-led Assembly is set to consider a bill on Wednesday that would ban the therapy on minors. Bans against gay conversion therapy have already gone into law in New Jersey and California. A proposed ban was voted down in Illinois in April.